TikTok star Britney Murphy — known as “ThatGirlBritneyJoy” on the social media platform — and her mother Sherie Smith died in a car crash on June 19, according to several reports.
Murphy and Smith were traveling to a Juneteenth event at Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas when their black sedan and a gray pickup truck collided on West Tidwell Road. Houston police told ABC 13 that the truck crashed into the car which Murphy was driving. The unnamed driver was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.
At the time of this writing, it’s unclear what caused the crash. The investigation is still ongoing and no charges have been announced, according to the outlet’s report published on June 21. Murphy was 35 and Smith was 53.
Murphy’s sister Tiffany Smith Cofield started a GoFundMe fundraiser and spoke with ABC 13 about the loss of her family members. “There will never be a time when I won’t miss my mother and my sister. They were my best friends. They were everything,” Cofield said.
When she was going home, Cofield said she ended up at the scene of the accident without originally knowing her mother and sister were a part of it. “It looked like her car and everybody, when I was walking up, said a mom and daughter died and I knew they had left and knew the only mom and daughter would be my mom and sister,” she continued.
Cofield’s GoFundMe has already raised nearly $100,000
By this article’s publication, Cofield’s fundraiser has reached over $80,00 of its $100,000 goal with 4,600 donations. To donate, tap the link here. Cofield shared an update on the page, thanking donors while also stating that she plans to have Murphy and Smith’s bodies sent to California — so she is still figuring out how much it’ll cost.
“Thank you all so much for the immense support you have given through this time,” Cofield wrote. “It is hard on us all but the love and support is truly appreciated.
“I wanted to also say that we are currently gathering up costs for laying both my sister and mother to rest. We are not sure of the final estimates but we plan on shipping both bodies back to California to be laid to rest in our home. I will make sure to keep everyone updated on costs and memorial services.”
According to Murphy’s website, she’s from Southern California but moved to Houston.
Murphy’s last TikTok video was a post celebrating Juneteenth
Posting comedic videos about the 9-5 life and other everyday activities, Murphy’s TikTok has nearly 500,000 followers and 13.1 million likes.
Her last video was posted on the day of the crash. “[Point of view]: You forgot it’s Juneteenth, no work today!” Murphy’s video reads, and it can be watched above.
